B1 reading: Learning a language at fifty

Many adults believe that they are too old to learn a new language. Children, they say, pick up languages easily, while adults find it hard. There is some truth in this, but research shows that adults have advantages too.

Children are very good at copying sounds, so they often learn to speak a new language without an accent. Adults usually keep some accent, even after many years. But adults are better at understanding grammar rules, and they can use what they already know. If you speak one foreign language, a second one is often easier, because you already know how to learn.

Juliet started learning Italian at fifty-two, after her children left home. "I had always wanted to learn it, but there was never time," she says. She joined an evening class and also used an app for ten minutes every day. "The class gave me a teacher and other people to practise with. The app helped me remember new words."

The most important thing, Juliet says, was doing a little every day. "When I studied for three hours on a Sunday, I forgot most of it by Wednesday. Ten or fifteen minutes every day worked much better." Language teachers agree. Regular short practice helps the brain store new words in long-term memory.

Juliet also found ways to use Italian in her everyday life. She changed the language on her phone, cooked from Italian recipes, and watched Italian films with subtitles. At first she understood very little, but slowly she began to follow the stories. After two years, she went to Bologna for a month and stayed with an Italian family. "On the first day I was so nervous I could hardly speak. By the end, I was dreaming in Italian."

Her advice to other adult learners is not to be afraid of mistakes. "Children aren't embarrassed when they get things wrong, and that's one reason they learn so fast. Adults worry about looking silly. But people are usually very kind when you try to speak their language, even badly."